51 Miss America hopefuls welcomed to Las Vegas

JOHN PRZYBYS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

They stepped to the microphone and, singing the praises of the United States from Alabama to Wyoming, introduced themselves, reveling in the knowledge that one of them would be crowned Miss America 2007.

In all, 51 Miss America contestants were officially welcomed to Las Vegas on Friday. It should have been 52, but Miss Virgin Islands' flight was delayed; the 51st contestant is from the District of Columbia.

Las Vegas is the site of the Miss America Pageant for the second year in a row. The telecast will be Jan. 29 from the Aladdin Theatre.

This year's contest comes at a bizarre time in the pageant world. In December, Miss USA Tara Conner came close to losing her crown for allegedly partying a bit too hard, while Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees lost her crown a short time later after racy photos of her hit the Internet.

The nonprofit Miss America program is unrelated to the Miss USA/Miss Universe pageant family. But as contestants prepared for introductions at the Aladdin on Friday afternoon, the excitement of tourists, gawkers and pageant fans signaled that Miss America had lost none of her luster.

This from a hotel employee talking to a buddy: "I wish I'd have brought my camera."

This from an excited woman who caught a glimpse of the contestants preparing for their big entrance: "They are here!" as if she hadn't believed it until that moment.

And even this from a guy whose excitement and devotion began to border on creepy: "Yeah, bring it on."

Shelley Hiestand of New Zealand heard about the ceremony on the radio and decided to check it out.

"My mum was into beauty pageants," she said. "She won a mother-daughter competition when I was 6 years old."

Sam Daines and Cleo Kiley are from South Africa but are studying for MBAs in North Carolina. They were visiting Las Vegas for a break before resuming classes and checked out the ceremony out of curiosity.

"I think it's just the novelty, why we're here," Daines said.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman presented roses to the contestants as they took the microphone to introduce themselves with enthusiastic plugs for the states that had sent them here.

The crowd favorite was Miss Nevada, who drew applause and cheers for her simple but effective line, "I'm the hometown girl, I'm from Las Vegas, and I'm Caydi Cole of Nevada."

Cole, 22, a graduate of the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts, said she was born and raised here, her parents were born and raised here, and her grandparents weren't born here but have lived here a long time.

Cole, who advanced to the Miss Nevada pageant in July after winning the Miss Clark County crown, performed a jazz vocal to "Blues in the Night" for the talent portion of the state pageant. She described the Miss America experience as "surreal" but said it's exciting, too.

According to the Miss America organization, the pageant began in 1921 as an Atlantic City businessman's gimmick to extend the summer tourist season.

Today, the organization says, the pageant is the world's leading provider of scholarships to young women.

The new Miss America will succeed reigning Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry.

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Preparing for Fidel Castro’s death

Ryan Mills

As reports of President Fidel Castro’s grave condition continue to leak out of Cuba, authorities in South Florida are keeping a close watch on the island nation and are preparing for every possible scenario that could occur after his death.

Authorities from the U.S. Coast Guard said there is no indication there will be a mass exodus from Cuba after Castro’s death is announced, but added that they are prepared if one were to occur.

“We do have plans if there is a mass exodus from any Caribbean nation,” said Jennifer Johnson, a Coast Guard spokeswoman in Miami. “That could be Haiti, the Dominican Republic. It could be Cuba, but the plan is not Cuba-centric.”

The plan, dubbed “Operation Vigilant Sentry,” was developed by the Department of Homeland Security after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Coast Guard spokeswoman Tasha Tully said.

Though officials would not reveal details of the plan, they did say it requires contributions from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

The plan includes instructions on how to handle interdictions at sea, landings in South Florida, the processing of refugees, providing medical care, community relations, border control and detention, Coast Guard officials said.

The plan got its first test in 2004 when authorities anticipated a mass migration from Haiti when the government of former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide collapsed.

The plan was last tested in 2006 during a table-top exercise in Broward County.

“In March we’re going to be testing it again,” Tully said. “Each time we test it we learn where we can improve.”

Lt. David Johnson, of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Operations Group, said Castro’s death will have an effect on South Florida. The Collier Sheriff’s Office is integrated into the national plan, he said, but also has developed local plans specific to Collier County.

The Sheriff’s Office has had periodic meetings to discuss its mass migration plans, and those meetings have become more frequent recently, Johnson said. But even if a mass migration were to occur, most likely Monroe and Miami-Dade counties would receive the brunt of the impact, he said.

“Our response will be directly proportional to the degree that we are affected,” he said. “Our contingency ranges from absolutely nothing at all happening, business as usual, to mass migrations that, according to DHS, could involve thousands. To what degree we will be affected in Collier County remains to be seen.”

In the case of a mass migration, state and local agencies would act as support for federal agencies, said Jorge Pino, a spokesman with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“We would do anything and everything needed to try to help our federal partners and our state partners,” Pino said. “We do have emergency plans for any catastrophe that could occur in the state of Florida. ... We’re just a spoke in the big wheel.”

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office also has a contingency plan in place in case of a mass migration, but officials declined to elaborate on what that plan entails or how the Lee County Sheriff’s Office would work with other agencies, Deputy Angelo Vaughn said in an e-mail.

The Naples police department is in the process of putting the final touches on its own mass migration plan, police Chief Victor Morales said. The Coast Guard agreed Friday to provide training to Naples police officers in handling a mass migration event, Morales said.

If Cubans flee in droves when Castro dies, those intercepted at sea likely will wind up at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, where nearly 400 men captured in the war on terror are held. Military officials say they have begun planning for a possible mass exodus, scouting potential sites to detain migrants in tents while keeping them far from the prisoners suspected of links to al-Qaida or the Taliban.

Castro, 80, hasn’t been seen in public since he temporarily handed over power to his brother, Defense Minister Raul Castro, and underwent emergency intestinal surgery in July. A Spanish newspaper reported Tuesday that the Cuban leader faces a “very grave prognosis.”

In past periods of turmoil, thousands of Cubans have taken to the sea. The Coast Guard has tried to intercept them before they reach land. Under the so-called wet-foot, dry-foot policy, Cubans intercepted at sea are generally sent back while those who reach U.S. soil are allowed to stay.

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A Closer Look At The Acts Of Lisa Ann Taylor & Nicole Probert

Ayanna Guyhto

In a scandal reminiscent of the Heidi Fleiss debauchery of the early 1990's, Gwinnett residents Lisa Ann Taylor, 42, and Nicole Probert, 30, were escorted away by policemen on January 3, 2007, on charges of prostitution. Talk of the arrest began to buzz shortly after the arrest for a few reasons:

1) The bust took place in one of metro Atlanta's most tony communities, the exclusive Sugarloaf Country Club.

2) One of the women charged is also known as the infamous "Melissa Wolf", a one-time adult movie star and Penthouse Pet.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

News of the alleged illegal activities broke shortly after a tip from concerned citizens who remarked on the number of comings and goings from Taylor's sprawling 4,000+ square foot mansion. The women, who presented themselves as real-estate agents, were investigated. However, reports resulted in no evidence linking their activities to real estate. As a matter of fact, further accounts from nearby neighbors revealed complaints of vulgar behavior and extremely noisy parties. Other reports indicated that both women (who each had separate properties) had a stream of male visitors who would only remain for short periods of time.

ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES

Another reason for the high profile arrest was due in part to the drug charges which are also pending against the two. According to officials, both Taylor and Probert were charged with conspiracy to possess cocaine. These charges follow accusations that the pair sold the drugs at their frequent parties.

On January 16, 2007, search warrants were issued for residences belonging to Taylor and Probert, respectively. The searches conducted by police, however, are being aimed at internet activity. It is claimed that Lisa Ann Taylor and Nicole Probert set and confirmed their "appointments" online via Taylor's adult website. Officials are also reviewing the logs which list the visitors to the Sugarloaf Country Club property. The country club's Homeowner's Association has advised police that they are ready and willing to cooperate with authorities in any way requested.

LITTLE BLACK BOOK TO BE OPENED?
Also similar to the Heidi Fleiss investigation more than ten years ago, is the police interest in the "little black book"---that is, the list of clients said to have utilized the services of both Probert and Taylor. The detailed computer files and documents retained by Taylor are the main target of the investigation at this time. What the police are looking for specifically, are records of financial transactions which correlate to the logs of visitors to the mansion. With this information they have a more solid case, and will begin to focus on the "clients" listed in the documents. Gwinnett District Attorney Danny Porter indicated that the arrests of "clients" could take place in Atlanta, as well as other cities where both Taylor and Probert have been conducting business.

Most of the clients listed in the documents need not fear felony prosecution. According to authorities, two men have already been charged with pandering, which is a misdemeanor. However, three men with direct connections to the drug violations have been arrested on felony charges. In many cases, the fine for pandering, which is a maximum of $5,000, will cost considerably less than the "dates" the women were offering.

GOOD FOR BUSINESS?

Ironically, the swarm of media attention has had a completely opposite effect than was intended for the pair of women. Seated in her attorney's office in north metro Atlanta, Lisa Taylor looked directly into the cameras and stated : "I don't have enough weeks in the year now" for new strip club bookings. She also indicated that the media attention has been "very good" for her. On the heels of that statement, she also admitted that she was scheduled to perform in adult nightclubs in both Canada and Detroit, over the weekend.

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Lisa Ann Taylor Back In The Grind

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